The invention relates in general to an absorption cooling system and more specifically to an improved heat exchanger for a high stage generator of an absorption chiller.
A direct-fired, double effect, absorption chiller/heater consists of an evaporator, absorber, condenser, high and low stage generators, separator, solution heat exchanges, refrigerant/solution pumps, burner and gas train assembly, purge, controls and auxiliaries. Water is used as the refrigerant in vessels maintained under low absolute pressure (vacuum). In the cooling mode, the chiller operates on the principle that under vacuum, water boils at a low temperature, thereby cooling the chilled water circulating through the evaporator tubes. A refrigerant pump is used to circulate the refrigerant water over the evaporator tubes to improve heat transfer.
To make the cooling process continuous, the refrigerant vapor must be removed as it is produced. To accomplish this, a lithium bromide solution (which has a high affinity for water) is used to absorb the water vapor. As this process continues, the lithium bromide becomes diluted, reducing its absorption capacity. A solution pump then transfers this weak (diluted) solution to the generators where it is reconcentrated in 2 stages to boil off the previously absorbed water.
In the high stage generator a significant amount of energy is lost in the exhaust flue gas. There has always been a continuing need in the field for improved efficiency in operating absorption chillers.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide an absorption system having improved efficiency.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved high stage generator for an absorption chiller.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide a system which utilizes lost energy in flue gas exhaust through a system which utilizes a flue gas recuperator.
The present invention relates to a system for recovering energy remaining in the exhaust of a high stage generator.
According to the present invention, in a standard liquid tube type high stage generator, a partition plate is positioned toward the end of the heat exchanger dividing the high and low pressures of a high and low stage of a triple or double effect absorption chiller cycle. The section from the fire tube up to the partition plate brings down the flue temperature up to approximately 650 F for a triple effect and up to 400 F for a double effect cycle. There is significant amount of energy remaining in the exhaust, which is recovered by preheating or boiling solution at a lower pressure in the remaining section of the flue passage, called flue gas recuperator (FGR). The FGR is a flooded type heat exchanger. Although the liquid tubes of both high stage generator and FGR section are shown to be of the same height, the tubes of FGR may be taller in order to reduce solution charge. The saturated (or heated) solution or solution vapor mixture goes to a conventional lower stage generator where an effect of advanced absorption cycle is materialized by generating more vapor utilizing high pressure steam generated in the high stage generator. The primary object of the invention is to modify a conventional high stage generator of a specific tonnage double effect chiller for a triple effect system. Since a triple effect chiller will have a lower gas firing rate (due to higher COP), there is virtually no change in the flue side flow length; thus the net pressure drop will be lower (due to lower flow rate). The addition of partition plate adds only marginal cost to the generator, making it economical and compact.